Andrew Buller-Russ
On Monday, the Miami Dolphins said goodbye to franchise quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Just hours later, the Dolphins signed their new franchise quarterback, officially ushering in a new era with first-year general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and first-year head coach Jeff Hafley.
According to The Athletic‘s Dianna Russini, the Dolphins have agreed to sign Malik Willis to a three-year, $67.5 million contract in the first hour of free agency. The contract reportedly includes $45 million guaranteed.
That’s right around the Willis contract projections leading into free agency, even if former NFL QB Kurt Warner was skeptical of his limited experience. Last year, the Jets signed Justin Fields to a two-year, $40 million contract with $20 million guaranteed. But he was a former first-round pick with 29 starts to his name.
Willis, 26, is a former third-round pick with just six starts in his career. Yet, the Dolphins are familiar with his positive performances in Green Bay, where he completed a ridiculous 78.7% of his passes for 972 yards, 6 TDs, and zero interceptions in three starts (seven appearances).
The Dolphins are fully confident that the version that Hafley and Sullivan witnessed up close in Green Bay is the one they’re getting in Miami too. If so, the Dolphins could have a dual-threat star QB on their hands. If not, they could have a contract they’ll regret, much like how they felt with Tagovailoa, and how New York feels with Fields.
Related: 2026 NFL Mock Draft: Round 1 Projections Before NFL Free Agency
